Almost 2,000 fluorescent luminaires have been reused and upgraded to LED at an office in the City of London resulting in a 50 per cent energy and carbon saving.
Engineering consultancy Hoare Lea approached Kent-based manufacturer Future Designs to explore the feasibility of upgrading the existing fluorescent lighting system at a commercial building in Wood Street to the latest LED technology. Under the carbon careful™ initiative, Future Designs adapt fluorescent end-of-life luminaires to LED.
However, this project presented a unique challenge: the lighting system was integrated into the chilled beam air-conditioning system, making it impractical to remove the luminaire carcasses from the beams.
Following an initial site survey, Future Designs proposed developing a bespoke gear tray to house the LED engine, driver, and, where necessary, emergency lighting components.
This solution, the installation of new gear trays, was costed, approved and progressed to the next stages. These trays replaced the obsolete fluorescent components while retaining the original housing.
The client opted to reuse the existing L-shaped etched optical diffusers, maintaining the visual design of the office lighting.
A prototype was then produced and underwent photometric testing to confirm compliance with CIBSE LG7 standards. The prototype was installed for review by Hoare Lea and the client, over a three-week evaluation period. Following approval, Future Designs were instructed to commence full manufacture of 1,875 new LED replacement luminaires.
Wood Street is a fully occupied office building, so the installation was carefully phased across five floors over a 12-month period to minimise disruption.
The LED adaptation delivered a 50 per cent reduction in energy consumption, directly translating to a 50 per cent carbon saving. Additionally, reusing the existing luminaire carcasses prevented the extraction of approximately 1.936 tonnes of iron ore, providing a further carbon reduction of approximately 3.9 tonnes.
The successful completion of the project provides the client with a state-of-the-art LED lighting system offering improved efficiency, sustainability, and reliability. The new system carries a seven-year warranty and uses LED boards with an expected lifetime in excess of 50,000 hours, significantly outperforming the now obsolete fluorescent lamps, which had a lifespan of only 14,000 hours.
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